The Inner Edge: Leadership, Self-Mastery, and Reinvention for a New Era

“If the word authentic means being the real you, who are you?”

While many of us have the noble intention of being authentic, I'm not so sure we really know what it means to be our authentic selves.  There's a lot more work that we need to do if we indeed want to be more authentic.

In this episode, I talk about authenticity and what it means to be an authentic leader.  I provoke you to think about what I call the authenticity trap and direct you to some resources and questions that can help you start to figure out who your authentic self really is.

In this episode:

• The trap we fall into when we use the word authentic
• A definition of Authentic Leadership and what it means for leaders
• How our upbringing and cultural conditioning shape who we are
• What we need to do to get closer to being authentic
• The importance of pausing and choosing your responses
• Some questions to help you start thinking about who you authentically are as a person and as a leader
• And more!

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.


Noteworthy Quotes from This Episode

“I can be a more authentic leader, but not an authentic leader, who [...] is just being me [and] just saying whatever comes to my mind, but is actually really much more intentional about my choices. And I'm more the person I've created myself to be versus a product of my upbringing and my emotional wiring.”

“Authentic Leadership is not just being whoever you think you are. But it also includes a series of traits that include connecting with other people.”

“If we are looking for more authentic connection, then we've got to do some deeper work on ourselves to become more grounded and to become more secure in who we are, what we stand for, and how we interact and connect with others.”

“In my view, the challenge for us in 2023 is not “how do I be more authentic?”.  It's really, “how do I create a more authentic version of myself?”


Resource Links

Find more about Dr. Nicole LePera’s book ‘How To Meet Yourself: The Workbook for Self Discovery’ here.

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“All people want to be heard, respected, and trusted. And if you can do that for people as a leader, I think you're going to be able to meet your goals.” Carrie Coen

We can learn a lot about how to be a better leader by listening to other executives share their lessons of experience.  They share their leadership journeys and what works, what doesn’t work, and the challenges and triumphs they encounter as they navigate the complexities of leading.

In this episode, I talk to Carrie Coen. She is the Chief Reliability Officer at Pullman Regional Hospital in Washington State and has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare field. You'll hear Carrie share some important leadership lessons she has learned throughout her journey, such as the importance of continuously learning and growing, giving yourself grace, and, most importantly, always moving in a forward direction.

In this episode:

• Carrie’s leadership journey and the importance of continuous improvement
• Why feeling aligned with what you’re doing and how you’re doing it is critical
• The double standard women leaders commonly face
• Dealing with self-doubt and mistakes 
• Learning from your failures to move forward
• The new challenges that leaders are currently facing
• And more!

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former corporate executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.


Connect with today’s guest on LinkedIn: Carrie Coen

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“Admit when you've made a mistake. Because it's so important to not try to cover up or hide. As you're learning, you're expected to make mistakes. So, don't be afraid of making mistakes, admit your mistakes and you really will be respected for that.”

In this episode, I talk to Carolyn Muir, the General Counsel and Senior Vice President of contracts at Steampunk, a growing IT services and consulting firm in the Washington DC area.

You'll hear Carolyn talk about her story of growth, learning, and seizing opportunities to achieve her goal of becoming General Counsel after decades of preparation. She shares with us powerful words of wisdom about leadership, the importance of having a growth mindset, and some of the lessons of experience she has learned along the way.

In this episode:

• Preparation meets opportunity in Carolyn’s leadership journey
• Some really powerful advice for people just entering their profession
• Learning about your personality preferences and how to bring your authentic self and unique contribution into a team
• How mentors can help you 
• Failure, a learning mindset, and “reserving the right to evolve”
• And more!

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.


Resource Links:

For anybody who's interested in reading or learning more about the concept of a learning mindset (or growth mindset) that we talked about in this episode, I recommend this great book: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck.


Connect with today’s guest on LinkedIn: Carolyn Muir 

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“Coming from a position of love and happiness, I always do a better job, I'm always a better leader, I'm a better mother, a better wife, or partner, I'm better at everything.”

In this episode, I talk to Shannon O'Meara Smith, the Vice-President and Deputy Chief Marketing Officer at Viasat, a global telecommunications company.

You'll hear Shannon talk about her leadership origins in the military and how that affects in her leadership in her current role.  She’ll surely surprise you with her thoughts about women and the imposter syndrome, and she’ll offer some really wise advice for all leaders.


In this episode:

• Shannon’s leadership story
• The imposter syndrome and women
• Tips for navigating moments of self-doubt as a leader
• Shannon’s specific advice and words of wisdom geared to women leaders
• And more!

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former corporate executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.


Noteworthy Quotes from This Episode

“Everybody forgets what an amazing person they are. So sometimes it helps to re-evaluate and  relook at and own who you are.”

“I'm not a fan of the terminology imposter syndrome, because people use it almost exclusively surrounding females.”

“Being brave doesn't mean that you don't have fear…you acknowledge that you have the fear, but you act anyway.”

“Everybody I know is winging it. I don't know, anybody who's like, ‘I've got it all together and I know what I'm doing."
 

Connect with today’s guest on LinkedIn: Shannon O'Meara Smith

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“I was watching myself doing these behaviors and I thought: [...] ‘do I ever have to act like that? And who could I be, if I'm not acting like that? What could I create? How much energy am I expending?”

In this episode of Power Presence Academy, I talk to Carita Walker, the Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, and Head of Legal for Shell Recharge Solutions Americas and Asia. Carita shares some of the truly valuable lessons she has learned along her leadership journey.  She reminds us how stereotypes can make us feel diminished and hold us back.  Carita emphasizes the importance of expressing ourselves authentically to maximize our inner power.  She offers important lessons of experience relevant to all leaders seeking to find and express their voice.

In this episode:

• Carita’s path toward becoming General Counsel 
• The advice Carita would give herself when she started out her leadership journey 15 years ago
• The importance of authenticity and expressing all sides of yourself
• Overcoming stereotypes that hold you back
• Unpacking the imposter phenomenon and why women face it
• Finding your leadership voice
• And more!

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.


Noteworthy Quotes from This Episode

“There have been moments where I've had to look at myself and say: ‘you know what? I'm not even sure what my authentic self is, because I've been trying to fit this particular mold and trying to be this particular thing, because that's what society says I should do, or how I should act.”

“It's too much work to try to be someone else or to try to fit into a mold. I've just learned, and I'm seeing that the more authentic I am, the more authentic I see other people. I think that's a better formula for success.”

“In my opinion, there's no reason why extraordinarily competent women, experienced women, accomplished women, should walk around feeling as if they don't belong.”

“I think that the roles that we are in as leaders are just conduits for bigger things for us to have an impact on the world, or even to what our true purpose is in life.”

Connect with today’s guest on LinkedIn: Carita Walker 

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

In this episode, I talk to Aimee Catalano, Marketing Executive at Google Cloud with nearly 20 years of experience in enterprise marketing.

You'll hear Aimee Catalano discuss her leadership career journey, the challenges that women leaders face working in tech companies, and the important lessons she has learned along the way.  She’ll also share career advice and how to achieve results in a leadership role you love!

In this episode:

• Aimee shares the journey to her current leadership role as a marketing executive at Google Cloud
• The unique challenges women leaders in tech face and how to overcome them 
• How being true to yourself as a leader is the key to your success
• How your focus can motivate your team to achieve results 
• The importance of empathetic leadership to support your team
• Setting work-life boundaries and the false pursuit of perfection as leaders

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.


Noteworthy Quotes from This Episode

“It’s going to be the contribution that I make to the business, not how I look, that is ultimately going to get me where I need to go.”

“And I think if I would tell myself something back then, [...] be comfortable in your skin, be who you are, [...] you know what you care about most. [...] that's what's going to make you successful, your contributions to the team, to the output of the results.” 

“Since there are not a ton of women that are out there in tech, I actually feel like it [being a woman] was not a disadvantage for me. If anything, it was an advantage.”

“The people management, empathetic leadership type of the side of our roles has never been more important.”

“If your work isn't fulfilling, then make a move, [...] nobody wins when people aren't matched in the right team or in the right company.”

“It's up to you to be proactive about managing your personal journey and your career [...] if something is just not making you happy, don't just live with it.”

Connect with today’s guest on LinkedIn: Aimee Catalano

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“Often, we think [charisma is] this elusive quality that you are born with. But what we think is an elusive magical gift is actually something that research tells us can be learned.”

If you long to be more charismatic, you won’t want to miss this episode. I’m going to talk about some research that has broken leadership charisma down into specific behaviors anyone can adopt.

You can learn to practice these strategies in your communication with others to be perceived as more charismatic.

In this episode:

We’ll break down charisma into the use of the following verbal and nonverbal behaviors:

• #1 Using metaphors
• #2 Telling stories and anecdotes
• #3 Demonstrating moral conviction
• #4 Sharing the sentiments of the collective
• #5 Setting high expectations
• #6 Communicating confidence
• #7 Using contrast to distinguish yourself and your message
• #8 Using lists of three to frame your messages
• #9 Asking rhetorical questions
• #10 Using body gestures
• #11 Using a variety of facial expressions
• #12 Using an animated voice tone

Employ these behaviors as habits and watch your charisma as a leader increase!

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.


Noteworthy Quotes from This Episode

Charismatic leaders are “leaders who by the force of their personal abilities are capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on their followers.”

“Remember, what we're talking about when we talk about charisma is perception, how others are seeing you, and how others are feeling and experiencing you.”

“A lot of charisma comes from how we communicate with others, creating an emotional connection."

“After managers in the study participated in training in these areas, the managers increased their perceived charisma.”

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“Even though more women are getting into politics, it's still not an even playing field.”

In this episode of Power Presence Academy, I talk to Elena Christopoulos, a commissioner in the city of Santa Monica, California whose goal is to get more women in politics. Elena shares some truly wise words and lessons she’s learned throughout her journey that will help you be a better and happier leader, whether you’re in politics or not.  


In this episode:

• Elena’s journey and some lessons she learned along the way
• The way self-doubt impacted Elena and how she overcame it
• How Elena went from Political Consultant to a Politician herself
• Elena’s insider advice for women who want to get into politics
• The importance of having mentors and a safety net
• A different way to look at rejection
• And more!

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies.


Noteworthy Quotes from This Episode

“Elena, pay it forward. And once you get to a position where you can hire diverse voices,diverse folks produce diverse outcomes and diverse solutions. [...] if you get different people in the room, that's where the magic happens.”

“I realized that vulnerability is strength. And you know, not only do I believe it, I know it to be true.”

“I learned at an early age from an aunt [who] passed away in Greece: “You need to find mentors in your life, regardless of what you do.”

“Rejection, mistakes, and other things like failures. They just set you up for success down the road, I believe.”

“I think that women are stronger together [...] I mean, we are so strong together. It's no competition, it's collaboration, right? And that's how we work well together.”

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“What I know for sure from working with organizations for the past two decades is that we have overlooked the importance of selecting leaders who have the ability to inspire others.”

Inspiring others is a big part of a leader’s job. If you haven’t been thinking about inspiration, I would argue you haven’t really been leading at your best.

To help you become a more inspiring leader, in this episode I offer some ancient wisdom from a Greek philosopher and break down three elements that make up the ability to persuade and inspire others.


In this episode:

• The importance of the “inspiration factor” in leadership
• Aristotle’s 3 elements of persuasion
• Emotional connection and its impact on inspiration
• One tip to help you become a more inspiring leader

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, a leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies.

“If I'm not feeling inspired, how am I going to motivate other people [and] have people that work for me to feel inspired?”

“A fundamental part of a leader’s job is setting an inspirational tone and inspiring others. It is a prerequisite.”

“You've got to be able to understand people and their emotions and connect with them in order to evoke them to action.”

“Feelings and emotions are an integral part of the human experience. [...] So we can ignore them all we want. We can tell people [to] check their emotions at the door. But they are still there.”

“As a leader, that [Pathos] is an important piece to tap into. And I'm not talking about manipulation. I'm talking about human connection.”


Free Gift Offer:

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  I’ll send you a free gift to help you create your most powerful leadership presence if you submit the review and send me an email!

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

If you're like me and most of the leadership coaching clients I work with, you know too well what it feels like to lose your groove and to feel so overwhelmed and burnt out that you're no longer excited about what you're doing.

In this episode, I’ll share with you 4 simple strategies that I offer to my clients (and that I use myself) to help you get your groove back, regain your flow, and operate at your best.

In this episode:

• #1 Identify your groove-destroying triggers and plan a counter-trigger
• #2 Practice regular, non-negotiable self-care
• #3 Create a Personal Purpose Statement and refer to it
• #4 If needed–take a soul search break to engage in re-evaluation and some deeper self-reflection

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, a leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies.

“There are things that you can plan for as your reward, knowing: okay, I've got to get through this trigger activity–but here's what I'm going to plan at the end to make sure I recharge.”

“Regular self-care, including eating healthy foods and exercising regularly, are not optional items on your to-do list.”

“Whatever you're placing before your physical and spiritual self-care rituals will only be enriched when you are healthy, centered, connected, and grounded.”

“Revisit your why and create a clear statement about what you want to contribute to the world… it reminds you of your bigger purpose and the bigger impact you want to have.”

“Only YOU have the answers to what makes your soul sing and to what depletes it. I would say stop avoiding those answers…”


Leave a Review:

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  


Resource Links:

If you are going through a major career or life transition and are ready to do some deeper soul searching about what you want to create but aren't sure where to start,  Soul Search Sessions: Life & Career Reinvention, one of my high demand group programs may be just what you need.

The next one is being held early in 2023.  To get more information about it reach out to [email protected] or visit: https://www.janetioli.com/programs/

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms